... Gudy is looking for head gear.

I'm in the market for a hat. And since I have no idea what to even look for, I'm asking for advice.

I'm essentially looking for an all purpose summer hat that doesn't make me look like a complete doofus (see attached pic for reference). I have a relatively large noggin' at a good 60 cm/23.5 in, which is apparently a US size 7 1/2. Since this is mainly for shading my receding hair line, face and neck in summer, I'm probably looking for something with a relatively wide brim and enough ventilation that I don't sweat too much. Anything high maintenance is right out, and if the thing can hold up under some rain without shrinking or otherwise suffering from being exposed to water, so much the better.

Stylistically, I'm looking for something low-key, so a bowler or top hat probably aren't in the running, but I'm wide open to suggestions, otherwise.

I think a Flat cap would look quite well on you, Gudy. Scally caps are similar, but they don't offer much (if any) protection from the sun.

A baseball cap that's not obnoxiously colorful and doesn't have a cheesy slogan printed on it might work, too. A simple brown cap, perhaps?

I am not a westerner, Gudy, but Scogar actually worked with cattle at one point in North Dakota. He called the job 'cow-puncher', had a horse, and yes, has a hat from back then. He tried to explain the various kinds of hats to me once... Er. I am hopelessly yankee, though.

He DID recommend Stetson hats, though.

He DID recommend Stetson hats, though.

So. Many. Hats. But damn, those prices are steep. I think I'll sit down with the wife over the weekend and go through the whole thing hot-or-not style. :-)

I hope you'll post pictures, Gudy, of you wearing your spiffy new hat(s).

Of course. Don't expect anything soon, though. I'm notoriously slow when it comes to buying new stuff like that.

This for sure.

Ya think? Hmm. I'm probably being stupid about this, seeing as some of those hats, including the whole Stetson lineup, are definitely high-end, but I'm not sure how to feel about felt as a material. I think I may have to go out and find an actual hat shop to see how these things feel when they sit on my head.

That said, and taking into account that I have yet to look at the Stetson site in any detail, my favourites so far are the Barmah Bronco in Hickory and the Akubra Tablelands in Sorrel Tan (scroll down to bottom of page), which I think is just gorgeous. Honourable mentions go to the Akubra Cattleman in Fawn that Medusa linked to above.

I love, love, love my fur-felt fedora.  Definitely worth a try, at least.

Specifically, it's The Tilley Fedora.

It's naturally water-resistant, looks fantastic, and is soft to the touch. Win!

OK, so the hat's here, and the evidence is over there.

The size turned out slightly too large, as I suspected it would, so I've currently stuffed a folded kleenex each into the front and back of the sweatband until I'll find a more... elegant solution. Other than that minor problem, the fit is very nice although the crown is barely high enough for my head. The hat is surprisingly soft and nice to wear. It feels like I could wear it all day if need be, which was something I was somewhat apprehensive about.

In other news, the guys from australiangear.com made shipping the thing half around the globe as smooth and painless as can be, and it even arrived right when they promised it would.